Lighting fixture



Oct. 12, 1943. E. F. GUTH LIGHTING FIXTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12 1941 Oct. 12; 1943. E. F. GUTH LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed June 12, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W Mn 5%,...11, W M Jag Oct. 12, 1943. E. F. GUTH LIGHTING FIXTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 12 1941 Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- LIGHTING FIXTURE Edwin F. Guth, Florissant, Mo.

Application June 12, 1941, Serial No. 397,661

4 Claims.

This invention relates to lighting fixtures, and with regard to certain more specific features, to lighting fixtures for tubular lamps.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a lighting fixture for fluorescent lamps (which are usually of elongate tubular form) in which an extended and continuous glass or plastic diffuser piece is used, rather than several discontinuous pieces; the provision of a device of the class described which permits of ready access to its interior for cleaning, repair and replacement and in which said access may easily be attained; and the provision of such a device which safely holds the extended difiuser element. Otherobjects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in. the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

the like,- if desired.

In the accompanying drawings, in'which are illustrated several of various possible 'embodi ments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a difiuser element of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end elevation partially in vertical section;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing line 2-2 of a diffuser and diffuser support angled down;

and,

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views oi the drawings.

Fluorescent lamps are usually of cylindric form and relatively long; for example, of the order of several feet, and when banked inparallel form a rather extensive source of light which it is desirable to diffuse by covering with some type of extended diffuser. The materials used for diffusers are glass, plastic and the like.

field into sections, the perimeters of which isolate individual difi'user supports. This not only has the efiect of making the design more diificult from an esthetic viewpoint, but makes it diificult to demount the diffuser for cleaning, repairing and replacing the lamps and other parts of the assembly. 1

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, there is shown at numeral 1 a longitudinal lamp support, which in the present example is shown as being fastened to the ceiling. .It will be understood that it may be suspended from the'ceiling upon suitable suspension members or The holder I includes a member 3which car ries sockets .i for the. lamps 'l and it also sup ports a reflector 9. Ends II are provided and it is'between these and below the lamps 1 that it is desired to place the difiuser. l are quite long, it has been the practice to divide up the space between ends such as ll into supporting sections-for supporting various sections of diffuser material. It is clear that, if itis desired to have the diffuser of an ornamental shape in cross section, in order to be harmonious with the decorative form of the ends I I, this breaking up of the area will lead to complications.

In Fig. 3 is shown my improved diffuser 15 per se, which consists of-a single sheet of glass or plastic or the like, the cross section of which is indicated in Fig. 2. This cross section is harmonious with the scroll shape l3 of the ends II. This diffuser I5 is in one integral piece. It is cradled by a pair of rods |1, each of which, as indicated in Fig. 4, is provided with a short gudgeon H] at one end and a longer 'gudgeon 2| at the other end. These gudgeons extend loosely and respectively into openings 23 and 25. The long gudgeon 2| has around it'a compression spring 21 which reacts between one of the ends H and a shoulder 29. It will be seen from Fig. 4

that the rod I! may be removed from the opening 23 by pressing it "towards the right, whereupon the spring 21 will compress, thus to' bring the extension l9 out of the opening 23. Then by slight angling of the rod H, which is permitted by the looseness of the fit between the Since the lamps extension 2| and the opening 25, the rod may be withdrawn.

Thus, to assemble the diffuser it is only necessary to bring it up into position under the parallel lamps l (with rods I! removed), and push in the extension 2| into the opening 25. Then the extension IQ is brought into aligmnent with the opening 23 and the rod is released. This is done for each rod, the springs 21 maintaining the rods in proper position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The diffuser then is cradled freely upon the rods There are substantially no mechanical stresses or strains applied to the diffuser and there is no necessity for breaking up its area for mounting by means of segmental supporting frame portions or the like. In addition, the diffuser |5 may readily be removed from time to time and replaced for cleaning, for reaching the lamps, et cetera.

Since the supports I! are positioned longitudinally of the diffuser IS, the diffuser may crack or break laterally and still be supported within the rods 1. The chances are slight that the diffuser will break longitudinally throughout its length from end to end.

It will be appreciated that, although two supporting rods I! are shown, more could be employed, for example another might be located under the center line of the difiuser |5.

In Figs. 5 to 9 is shown another form of the invention in which the diffuser is located over rods, but these rods are held, along with other parts, to be demountable as a unit. Referring to these figures, numeral 3| indicates a support for sockets 33 which in turn support the lamps 35. This support 3| is fastened to the ceiling C by suitable means. It includes end walls 31 from which are struck out bridge-like supports 39.

Numeral 4| indicates the decorative ends of what will be referred to generically as a cradle K. This cradle K is formed by said ends 4| and permanent rods 43, which join said ends rigidly, being held by screws, as indicated at 42. There are three of the rods 43 and they form the desired enclosure for a one-piece trough-like diffuser 45 composed of glass, plastic or the like. In the ends of 4| are suitable translucent or diffusing panels 41 but it is to be understood that these may be opaque and each may form an integral part of an end 4|. The panels 41 as shown are held in place by.means of screwed clips 49. It will be understood that the diffuser 45 gravitates into position between grooves in the ends 4| and over the rods 43. The upper edges 5| of the diffuser 45 are located by grooved members 53, the opposite ends of which are fastened (as shown at screws 55) to said ends 4|. Thus there is formed a cradle for the trough-shaped difi'user 45.

At one end, this cradle is provided with a hooklike projection 51 for engaging a notch 59 of the struck-up portion 39. This hook-like projection 51 is formed to permit swinging as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, and also for some lateral movement. The opposite end 4| is provided with a finger 6| which is engageable with a notch 63 of the other bridge portion. 39. Movement into engaging position is lateral and up, then down on center. Threaded through the portion below the finger 6| is a screw 65 which prevents inadvertent separation, the screw being applied last.

Operation of this second form of the invention is as follows:

. and the finger SI of said supports,

The cradle consisting of the ends 4| and rods 43 is demounted. The diffuser 45 is then laid therein. Then the members 53 are applied to hold the edgesil, the screw fastenings 55 being applied. This provides an assembly of a cradle with the diffuser 45 therein.

Then, the hook 51 is applied to one of the struck-out portions 39 of the support 3|. This places the apparatus into the position shown in Fig. 8. Thereupon, the cradle K with the diffuser therein is moved sidewise and rotated up is placed in the notch 63 of the other struck-out portion 39. At this time the screw 65 is retracted. Then the screw 55 is screwed home.

For removal, a reverse sequence of operation is performed. It will be understood that the cradle, from the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9, may be entirely removed by lifting it up slightly so as to release the finger 51, and vice-versa.

It will be seen that a trough-shaped diffuser which is in one single and integral piece is a common feature of both forms of the invention, along with the fact that this diffuser is cradled.

'In the case of the first form of the invention,

the diffuser is separable per se, whereas in the second form it is movable with the cradle.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A fluorescent lamp fixture comprising a horizontally elongate lamp support, end members extending down from said support, a single onepiece light diifuser located between said end members, and removable rods between said end members forming the only supporting means for said diffuser, each rod comprising latching means for holding it in position upon application between said end members, and for quick removal.

2. A fluorescent lamp fixture comprising a horizontally elongate lamp support, end members extending down from said supports and having pairs of oppositely located openings therein, a single one-piece light diffuser located between said end members, removable rods between said end members forming the supporting means for said diifuser, each rod comprising a relatively short reduced portion at one end for insertion into an opening in one of said end members and a relatively long reduced portion at the other end for insertions into an opposite opening in the other of said end members, the longer reduced portion permitting axial movement of the respective rod to clear the other relatively short reduced portion from its respective opening, and a spring reacting from one of the end members to bias the respective rod so that the relatively short reduced portion is springingly held in its opening.

3. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising a horizontally elongate lamp supporting frame, cradle supports located on opposite ends of the frame, a trough-like diffuser, a cradle in which the diffuser rests comprising endwise members and longitudinal rods between said members and beneath said diffuser and forming a guard, means on one end of the cradle cooperating with one whereby said cradle may be 4. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising ahorizontally elongate lamp supporting frame,

endwise notched bridge portions on said support, a trough-like diffuser, a movable unit in which said difiuser rests comprising endwise members, longitudinal rods between said members and with them forming the organized movable unit, said unit forming a guard for the diffuser which is supported thereby, hook-like supporting means on one end of the movable unit cooperating with the notch of said bridge portions, whereby said unit may be swung in a vertical plane, a hooklike means at the other end of the movable unit and movable into the notch in the other bridge portion for holding the cradle unit in horizontal supported position, and screw means associated with said second hook-like member movable into position below the adjacent bridge portion to hold the movable unit fixed in its horizontal position.

EDWIN F. GUTH. 

